She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Upon returning to the Jiang residence, Shen Jingshu had just stepped into the main hall when she instructed Yaoqin to prepare a pot of hot tea.

She turned to Jiang Jin'an and said, "I want to see Fu Zijin. There are some things I need to ask him in person."

Jiang Jin'an nodded and replied, "I'll have Lin Yu deliver the message. You can rest for a while."

His tone was calm, as if he had expected her to do this and understood that she had her own decision. He knew her personality and that she wouldn't speak without reason. Since she wanted to see Fu Zijin, she must have her reasons, and he chose to trust her.

He walked to Shen Jingshu's side, gently took her hand, and frowned slightly when he felt the coldness of her palm. "You must be tired today. Go change your clothes and have some hot tea to warm yourself up."

Shen Jingshu nodded and let Jiang Jin'an lead her to sit down on the soft couch next to her.

She leaned against the soft pillows and closed her eyes. Seeing that she was resting with her eyes closed, Jiang Jin'an did not disturb her.

When Fu Zijin received the news, he was alone in his study copying a painting titled "Nymph of the Luo River".

As dusk settled outside the window, leaving only a sliver of the setting sun, the light inside the room gradually dimmed, but he remained oblivious, still focused on the painting before him, his brush moving across the paper, outlining the figure of a woman.

The woman in the painting has a graceful figure, floating like snowflakes in the wind. Her eyebrows and eyes bear a resemblance to Shen Jingshu, but she lacks Shen's sharpness and decisiveness, and instead exudes a sense of fragility and sorrow.

Fu Zijin stared intently at the person in the painting, his fingertips lightly tracing that familiar face, but in the end, it was just a person in a painting, not her.

"Young Master, someone from the Jiang residence has arrived." Qingzhu's voice rang out from outside the door, interrupting his thoughts.

He snapped out of his reverie, and the pen in his hand trembled slightly. A drop of ink fell onto the paper, spreading out like a flower that bloomed on the rice paper and withered instantly, silent and startling.

Looking at the ink spreading, Fu Zijin felt an indescribable sense of irritation.

He sighed softly and placed the pen on the jade pen holder. "Understood."

As night deepened, Fu Zijin slipped away from everyone's sight and sneaked into the Jiang residence through the back gate. He arrived at the study with practiced ease and lightly knocked on the door with his knuckles.

"Come in," Shen Jingshu's voice came from inside the door.

He pushed open the door and entered, his gaze sweeping across the room. He saw Shen Jingshu sitting upright at her desk, her expression calm and unreadable. Jiang Jin'an stood to the side, his hands behind his back, watching him expressionlessly.

Upon seeing him enter, Jiang Jin'an glanced at Shen Jingshu, then walked out without a word, leaving the two alone behind.

Lin Yu followed Jiang Jin'an out of the study. He scratched his head, looking puzzled, and asked, "Young Master, why did you come out? This..."

He couldn't understand why the young master was so at ease letting his wife and Fu Zijin be alone together, since Fu Zijin had ulterior motives towards his wife.

Jiang Jin'an glanced at him, then walked away without stopping, leaving only the words: "Just do your own thing."

Jinse came out carrying a tea tray and saw Lin Yu standing at the door, looking completely bewildered. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, "You're such a blockhead! The master trusts his wife, what are you still standing here for?"

Lin Yu suddenly realized, touched his nose, and hurriedly followed, secretly admiring the young master's demeanor.

Inside the room, Shen Jingshu looked up at Fu Zijin and asked bluntly, "Do you even know where Chu Xiangling is?"

Fu Zijin's face was gloomy, and there seemed to be a dark current flowing in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "I don't know." He paused, then said, "But if you ask me, I can also find out where she is."

"Get out," Shen Jingshu snapped.

Fu Zijin chuckled softly, "Why have you become so impatient?"

He sat down at his desk, took out an exquisite jade lock from his sleeve, and placed it on the table. The jade lock was smooth and lustrous, with exquisite carving, and was indeed a popular style in the capital. "This is for you. I haven't yet wished you a happy marriage. Do you like it?"

He pushed the jade lock toward Shen Jingshu, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

He remembered that Shen Jingshu used to love these delicate little trinkets. She would always smile brightly and buy them in pairs with Zhao Zhao, wearing them together. But now, he feared she had long since grown tired of them.

Shen Jingshu's gaze lingered on the jade lock for a moment, but she did not reach out to take it. She continued to ask, "How was His Majesty before you died?"

Fu Zijin was stunned. How was His Majesty? It seemed... he was alright?

He recalled his past life, when Emperor Hui sat firmly on the throne and controlled the government until his death. The political situation changed and the crown prince changed, but his foundation was never shaken.

Why would Shen Jingshu ask such a question?

Fu Zijin thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "When I die, His Majesty's body will already be..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, observing Shen Jingshu's expression.

Shen Jingshu said calmly, "You really can't be trusted."

Her calmness, however, made Fu Zijin unsure of what to do.

The calmer Shen Jingshu remained, the more wary Fu Zijin became. He considered himself to know her fairly well; the calmer she was, the more it meant she had something on her mind, and it was by no means a trivial matter.

He concluded that Shen Jingshu was hiding something from him.

"We've known each other for a while now, why be so confrontational?"

Shen Jingshu remained unmoved. She stared at Fu Zijin and asked coldly, "I'll ask you one more time, do you know Chu Xiangling's whereabouts?"

"If I say I don't know, would you believe me?" Fu Zijin asked rhetorically.

"I don't believe it," Shen Jingshu replied without hesitation.

He suddenly felt a little irritated. He knew that Shen Jingshu was pressuring him, but he just didn't want to do as she wished.

"If you don't believe me, why bother asking?"

Shen Jingshu scoffed lightly, "I just want to see just how shameless you can be."

“Shameless?” Fu Zijin repeated, as if he had heard a joke. “I’m helping you, assisting you, and protecting you now, Shen Jingshu, you really have a heart of stone.”

He still spoke softly, but a hint of anger had crept in. This time, he had taken a risk to help Jiang Jin'an a great deal, but in her eyes, it seemed like nothing at all.

"I did my part in the matter of Yanzhou. Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"What do you want to hear? Praise for your resourcefulness, or commendation for your profound sense of justice?" She paused for a moment, her tone growing colder. "What you truly desire is far more than these insincere compliments."

Fu Zijin's eyes instantly turned sinister. Yes, what he wanted was never her praise.

He had heard too many of those insincere compliments and was already tired of them.

What he wanted was her heart, but that heart had already been given to someone else.

Not reconciled.

Why?

"Aren't you going to find Zhaozhao?" Fu Zijin suddenly changed the subject.

Shen Jingshu's pupils suddenly contracted. Zhao Zhao? He actually dared to mention Zhao Zhao!